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Background: This study aimed at determining the prevalence and morphological types of anaemia, among children under-five years, who had full blood count (FBC) investigation done at the laboratory of the Volta regional hospital. Methodology: This was a retrospective study of archival FBC test results data for children below 5 years in the laboratory, between1 st July to 31 st December 2015. The FBC results comprised of the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and the red blood cell indices. Obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: A total 451 children were sampled. Anaemia prevalence in this study was 55.0% (248/451) and most of the children suffered from moderate anaemia (42%) (104/248) with mild and severe anaemia being 34% (84/248) and 24% (60/248) respectively. Children with microcytic hypochromic anaemia were 52%, (130/248), while those with normocytic normochromic were 25% (63/248). Conclusion: Anaemia was found in more than half of the children under-five years and microcytic hypochromic anaemia was the commonest morphological type of anaemia. There is need for a multi-disciplinary approach to elucidate the etiology of anaemia in children under-five years.

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The impeding safety challenges to the use of herbs have made qualitative and quantitative evaluation of herbal preparations a necessity. This study was aimed at evaluating the pharmacognostic and pharmacological properties of V. amygdalina leaf. Methods used include standard procedure for macroscopic and microscopic examinations; ash and extractive values determination; and quantitative evaluation of phytochemicals of the leaf aqueous extract. 4-day antiplasmodial suppression test using mice and antipyretic evaluation in rats induced pyrexia by i.p administration of 15% and dose induced body temperature decrease, were significant (P ≤ 0.05) for all the 3 dose levels of the extract used. Study agrees with folkloric use of the leaf extract in malaria fever but suggests substantial antipyretic property of the leaf.

Application of medicinal plants in managing disease conditions is a practice as old as mankind. Its use in today’s healthcare has increased astronomically when compared to any other era. National policies, which integrate herbal products in healthcare systems, and the increasing presence of herbal clinics have become the order in many countries. Despite the ease of accessibility and affordability, the use of products from medicinal plants as phyto-medicines is threatened by the inability to maximize the benefits. This is due to inadequate qualitative and quantitative data necessary for proper application and regulation. Vernonia amygdalina, a herb widely used by ethnics in diverse forms of health management, is one such medicinal plant. This study was designed to determine referenceable values for the ethno formulation of the herb which is usually prepared as the aqueous extract of the leaf. Standard techniques and procedures were employed for this study. Fractionation of the extract was carried out using facilitated column chromatography. Pure principles of fractionates were separated with gas chromatography and identified using hyphenated mass spectrometer based on their relative abundance. The obtained chromatogram and spectra of principles were elucidated by relating data to the Mass Spectral Database with Automatic Mass Spectra Deconvolution & Identification System (AMDIS). Preliminary screening of extract indicated the absence of quinine but presence of alkaloids, tannins and saponins. Aqueous extraction produced 18 % (w/w) yield. The accelerated column chromatography produced a yield in the ratio of four to six to nine for the chloroform, chloroform/methanol and methanol effluents, respectively. Data obtained from the AMDIS elucidation showed the presence of eleven principles, which includes 1, 2, 3, 4-Butanetetrol; 1, 2-Benzenediol; and Caprolactam among others. Some of the properties and bioactivities of these principles have been reported in previous literature. Findings suggest that bioactivity common with some of these principles is consistent with previous literature on the use of the herb, and demonstrates reasons for the folkloric application.

The use of herbal therapy is a common practice in Africa. One of the commonly used herbs is Vernonia amygdalina. Processing of the plant for use leads to the loss of phytochemical principles like saponin which has been shown to possess bioactivity. This study was to evaluate and characterize the saponin principles, using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Standard antipyretic study procedure using Saccharomyces cerevisiae induced pyrexia in rats was used for the evaluation of the herbal aqueous extract, as well as, the crude saponin and its chromatographic fraction. The separation and chromatogram development of resulting pure saponin components was carried out using a HPLC with UV-vis detection at 365 nm. Data for the antipyretic study agrees with previous bioactivity report for the saponin. Chromatographic and spectroscopic evaluation indicated the presence of three pure saponin components at retention times of 7.78 ± 0.19, 8.76 ± 0.16 and 13.54 ± 0.87 minutes, in the fractionate. Finding suggests that the pure components are individual or collective contributors to the bioactivity of the crude saponin and fractionate. Further bioactivity probe of the pure components will aid good understanding and use of the herbal medication.